They are not ordinary enlisted men, meaning that they serve
only their two years' time. Most of them have agreed to serve a
lengthy term. Married men are not encouraged to enroll in this branch
of the service. It is obvious from the nature of the work that the
hazards are often great. The wonderful system of the German War
Machine has been installed with rare detail in the a?«rial corps. The
equipment of the different stations is really marvelous. For
everything human ingenuity has been able to devise concerning the
dirigible you will find in application. Each station is fully
equipped and is an absolutely independent center in itself. Take the
base at Helgoland. It is the newest and the one that is always
cloaked with secrecy.
At the extreme eastern corner of the island of Helgoland one sees,
amid the sandy dunes, three vast oblong, iron-gray structures. At a
distance they are not unlike overgrown gasometers. I say at a
distance, for it is impossible for any visitor to get within a
thousand yards of the station. The solitary approach is guarded by a
triple post of the marine guard. If you walk toward the station,
before you come within a hundred yards of the guard, you will find
large signs setting forth in unmistakable and terse language that dire
and swift penalties follow any further exploration in that direction.
Not only English but German visitors to Helgoland have found out
through their course that even the slightest infringement of the rules
of these signs is dangerous.
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